So, you’ve discovered you’re a witch. That’s great! Welcome—we’re so glad you’re here. (If you’re not a witch and just curious, you’re also welcome. Have some tea, and sit for a spell. See what I did there? *wink*)
There are many ways to get here. Perhaps you’ve always felt a connection to nature or communed with the supernatural world. Maybe you feel especially drawn to magickal tools— such as crystals, tarot decks, runes, wands, and athames—and want to learn more about them. Or, maybe you’re just sick to death of organized religion (aren’t we all?) and decided to plunge down a divergent path.
Whatever your journey or however your practice looks, many emerging witches and magickal practitioners have the same question—what is magick, really? How does it work? Is there any basis for it in science, or is it all based in faith?
Here’s the thing—every magickal practitioner has their own definition for what magick actually is and how it works. What I can do is offer you my personal thoughts on these questions and resources to help you develop your own definitions, based on the way you practice. The goal here isn’t to indoctrinate you into any specific way of thinking, but to inspire you to keep learning.
That’s what witchcraft is all about, right?
Magick vs. Science
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
—Arthur C. Clarke
Traditionally, magick and science have been positioned in direct opposition to each other. Science is viewed as the exploration of facts, while magick is often seen as a compilation of trickery and imagination. Spiritual pursuits, in general, are spoken of in the abstract—intangible psychological journeys rather than concrete experiences.
However, when examined more closely, magick and science begin to look the same. Science is defined as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experimentation.”
Magick also involves systematic study of the natural world—how the energies of items, symbols, sounds, colors, etc., interact to invoke changes in the observable world around the magickal practitioner. Magick is the practice of harnessing and directing those energies.
Our entire universe is made up of matter that vibrates at a subatomic level. The particles and waves at the subatomic level in our bodies, pets, furniture, the ocean, stars, and every other object across the cosmos are constantly in motion, creating vibrations and/or frequencies.
For instance, plants produce bioacoustic emissions on both an audio and ultrasonic (inaudible) level. Crystals also emit frequencies at different levels, depending on their molecular structure. Quartz, for example, vibrates at 32768Hz. Even the Earth itself vibrates at a specific frequency of 7.83Hz, which is known as the Schumann Resonance.
Magick allows us to tap into these vibrations and frequencies, combining them to align our personal frequency and vibration with the intention embedded in a spell. The energies in the spell carry our intention into the universe, which is how spells manifest outcomes.
Spell seemingly gone awry? Check out Nothing Happened! When Spells Fizzle Out (coming soon!).
Spells as Symphonies
“Magic is natural. It is a harmonious movement of energies to create needed change.”
—Scott Cunningham, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
When we combine items in a spell that emit specific frequencies aligned with the energy we wish to create, these frequencies interact with each other and create changes in our surroundings. This is very similar to combining the vibration and sound of different instruments to create music. Just as instruments follow a specific musical arrangement to harmonize together, so do the elements chosen for a spell.
This is where it gets tricky, because as magickal practitioners, we need to trust our instincts. We can research correspondences and vibrations for the elements we want to include in our spells, but if something doesn’t feel right—or something “wrong” really vibes with us—we should honor that feeling. Vibration and frequency may objectively exist in all things, but the way they interact with our personal frequency and intentions are subjective, much like our personal taste in music.
“Music and Rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.”
—Plato
Think about it this way. When we listen to music, we choose pieces that make us feel a certain way—energized, relaxed, emotional, etc. Though we may listen to a wide array of pieces, all of them have harmonious qualities that sound pleasant to us. Very few people will purposely choose dissonant music composed with poorly tuned instruments. Cacophonous sounds make us cringe, and feel frightened or nervous.
Magick is much the same. If you don’t feel energetically aligned with an aspect of a spell you cast, the vibrations rippling into the universe will be dissonant, and the spell may fizzle out. Conversely, if a spell’s energy resonates with your personal vibration, the energy you release will exist in synergy with universal vibrations and your spell is more likely to result in your desired outcome.
“Once one realizes that magick works, and that it works based on scientific factors, the next step is to hone one’s skill to reach repetitive success. What makes magick so interesting is that, because we are individuals, the combination that unlocks the door to success will vary from person to person, yet the main thrust of the work operates on a specific set of scientific formulas that our scientists are only now beginning to fathom. The mystery, then, lies within each of us.
—Silver Ravenwolf, Llewellyn Worldwide interview
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